Best
by tastewithouttalent
Summary: "'Ngh,' Gokudera groans, and Yamamoto hums faintly in his sleep and shifts in closer against his spine." Gokudera wakes up warm and Yamamoto wakes up smiling. Part eleven and final of the Understanding series. Sequel to Preferred.


Gokudera wakes up with a crick in his neck.

This is not that shocking in and of itself. It's the cause that pulls him to full consciousness in a rush, the realization that his head is too far forward on his pillow and there's not much give and far too much warmth in the support under his neck, and in fact there is another person pressed in against the warm-flushed skin of his back.

"Ngh," Gokudera groans, and Yamamoto hums faintly in his sleep and shifts in closer against his spine. He takes a deep breath, like he's on the verge of waking up, but then just sighs instead, his breathing ruffling the sleep-tangled strands of Gokudera's hair while he presses in closer until his mouth is all but touching the other's shoulder.

Gokudera doesn't want to move. His neck is aching, and his arm is twisted awkwardly under him and entirely asleep from shoulder to fingertips, and Yamamoto's knee is digging into the back of his leg so hard he thinks it might be bruised. But he is warmer than the blankets alone can account for, and his breathing is as steady as if he's still asleep, and he can't remember the last time he felt this relaxed.

He's still contemplating his options when the alarm goes off and makes the decision for him.

"Wha?" Yamamoto says, a tiny confused noise; the arm draped around Gokudera's waist shifts for a moment, as if he's about to pull away. Gokudera can feel stress collecting in his shoulders again in anticipation of the loss. But then there's a laugh, a half-voiced chuckle, and the arm tightens instead, Yamamoto tugging himself in closer to deliberately press his face against the back of Gokudera's neck. "Yo, Gokudera."

"Get off me," Gokudera grumbles without moving to pull away. "I have to turn the alarm off and we have to go to school." He starts to sit up but Yamamoto doesn't let go, just slides down so he's kissing Gokudera's back instead of his shoulder while the other boy stretches to turn off the mechanical beeping. "I can't believe you're still calling me that."

"Calling you what?" Yamamoto is smiling, Gokudera can feel the curve of his lips against his hip.

"_Gokudera_." He drops back to the bed, only missing crushing Yamamoto because the other boy pulls back in time. He can feel his cheeks going warmer, flushing dark enough that it would be clear even in the dim light, if Yamamoto's eyes were open. A cough clears his throat, focus steadies his voice. "Do I have to give you permission to call me by my first name too?"

There's a brief pause, like Yamamoto is collecting his thoughts before he speaks, his voice slow and careful like he's never said the syllables before. "Hayato."

"Yeah." Gokudera really is blushing now, it's spreading hot over his cheeks and starting to creep towards his collarbones. "Takeshi."

It's entirely illogical, the way his skin flashes hot at the way Yamamoto's first name tastes on his lips. But Yamamoto is taking in a sharp breath, laughing breathless delight against his shoulder, and Gokudera can't fight back the unwilling smile that catches at his lips.

"You're such an idiot," he says, rolling over so he's facing the other boy. "A baseball idiot."

Yamamoto smiles like he's been complimented, blinks slow with pleasure and ducks his head to fit himself just under Gokudera's chin. His hair is soft and tousled out of order, strands catching against Gokudera's mouth when he turns his head down to sigh against the top of Yamamoto's head. His arm is starting to prickle painfully as feeling comes back but he moves it anyway, drops it heavily around Yamamoto's shoulders to match the hold the other boy has on his waist, Yamamoto's fingers braced against Gokudera's spine like he's holding him steady.

They fit together into a tangle of limbs and warm skin and damp lips, and Gokudera has to go to school soon but that's fine too. Tsuna will be there, and Ryohei, and Hibari, and Yamamoto will be with him, with his easy smile and simple confessions just the same as they have always been, as they have been this whole time.

Gokudera can't think of anything better to have in his life.


End file.
